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Japanese Turnips with Soboro Ankake Sauce
4.1 from 30 votes

Japanese Turnips with Soboro Ankake Sauce

Simmered in dashi broth, tender Japanese Turnips with Soboro Ankake Sauce is a winter comfort food that highlights the flavors of the season. It makes a delicious, nourishing side dish to complement your Japanese meal. 

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 4
Calories: 142 kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

  • 8 turnips use turnips of the same size so they will cook at the same rate, Japanese variety aka kabu
  • 6 oz ground chicken (skip for vegan/vegetarian; if you substitute firm tofu cubes or minced mushrooms, you can combine the seasonings with the slurry and add to the broth)
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
For the Broth
  • 2 cups dashi use standard Awase Dashi, dashi packet or powder, or Vegan Dashi, Japanese soup stock
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
For the Soboro Seasonings
  • 2 Tbsp sake
  • 1½ Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
For the Slurry
  • 1 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch
  • 2 Tbsp water

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Gather all the ingredients.
To Prepare the Turnips
  1. Cut off the leafy green tops from 8 Japanese turnips (kabu). For presentation, I left ½ inch (1.3 cm) of the stems attached to the turnips. Use the leafy tops to make a side dish (you can pickle them) or add to miso soup.
  2. Rinse the turnips well, especially the stems.
  3. Slice a thin sliver off the bottom of the turnips so they will stand upright. Then, remove the turnip’s skin, peeling from the bottom to the top.
  4. The turnips should look like this.
To Cook the Turnips
  1. In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups dashi (Japanese soup stock) and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
  2. Add the turnips, cover with the lid and bring it to a boil again. Simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Then, add 1 Tbsp sugar.
  3. Add ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and cover with lid. Continue to simmer on medium-low heat until tender, about 20 minutes.
To Make the Soboro
  1. In the meantime, make the soboro. To a large frying pan, add 2 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp sugar, and 1½ Tbsp soy sauce. Combine the sauce well.
  2. Add 6 oz ground chicken and start cooking on medium heat.
  3. Using a pair of long cooking chopsticks or wooden spatula, break the ground chicken into small pieces. Once the chicken is no longer pink and the sauce has reduced, turn off the heat and set aside.
To Assemble
  1. When a wooden skewer goes into the turnip smoothly, the turnips are tender and ready.
  2. Add the seasoned ground chicken into the broth with the turnips.
  3. Mix well and taste the broth. Adjust the taste with ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt if necessary.
  4. Now, make a slurry. In a small bowl, add 1 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch and 2 Tbsp water and whisk well to combine.
  5. Reduce the heat of the broth and gradually add the slurry to it. Mix well to combine until thickened. If the sauce is too thick, add more water. If it‘s too watery, let the liquid evaporate a bit more (or you can make more slurry and add it to the broth).
  6. Serve the turnips, broth, and ground chicken on a plate/bowl.

Nutrition Information

Calories 142kcal (7%) Carbohydrates 17g (6%) Protein 9g (18%) Fat 4g (6%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 37mg (12%) Sodium 543mg (23%) Potassium 481mg (10%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 11g (22%) Vitamin C 26mg (29%) Calcium 43mg (4%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 142

% Daily Value*

Calories 142kcal 7%
Carbohydrates 17g 6%
Protein 9g 18%
Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 37mg 12%
Sodium 543mg 23%
Potassium 481mg 10%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 11g 22%
Vitamin C 26mg 29%
Calcium 43mg 4%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.